A natural disaster is an emergency when you must act instantaneously. There could be earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, or even an unexpected medical situation. These are some of the unplanned situations when every second will count.
You need to be alert and prepared at the same time. Remember that the safety of your family is a priority. This will be a crisis situation where you need to be patient and calm.
If you panic, it would be difficult for you to act smartly. Keeping the urgency of the situation in mind, it is important for you to pack a go bag for your family. It will be like an emergency kit with all the essentials needed to survive a few days in extreme conditions.
You will have peace of mind by keeping such a kit ready for this type of situation. You and your family can leave for a safe place quickly. Apart from saving a physical kit, you must create an emergency financial arrangement to sail through these circumstances.
Besides, you must educate yourself about the ways you can arrange funds. If you have an active loan, you can think of effective ways to downsize the cost to free up more money for personal utilisation.
It would be better for you to refinance a loan with bad credit. This will help you work out a new rate that might be lower than what you are managing right now.
This step can help in stashing more money that can be utilised for any emergency requirement. Thus, you must have complete preparation by reading through this blog.
Steps to follow to be prepared for an emergency with a go bag
You should not be late to act, as this might cost the safety of your family. Do not be overconfident by thinking nothing will happen. At times, when an emergency situation pops up, you can be completely unprepared.
The reasons why this go bag can prove to be lifesaving for you are:
· Lack of time
During emergencies like floods, fires, etc., evacuation has to happen in a short while. Thus, you might not have enough time to get that bag ready. Besides, you might miss out on a lot of things as you will be in a rush.
· Amenities will be inaccessible
During such situations, you might not have access to basic amenities. It would be difficult for you to spot a grocery store, pharmacy, or ATM. Your emergency kit should provide you with the necessary things to get through this type of crisis.
· Be worry-free
It is impossible for you to imagine that you will be free from worries. However, with that go bag by your side, you can focus on other essentials. You do not have to run here and there for the basic things that you need to survive.
What is it like the Go bag?
This is not something you will have to buy from anywhere. Any bag can be customised as per necessities to be converted into an emergency kit. Make sure to have essential items that can help you manage for at least 2 to 3 days.
Ideally, it should have the following characteristics:
Lightweight: Do not pack it with impractical things, or else it might make evacuation difficult for you.
Portable: It should have a small size that can easily be carried from one place to another.
Accessible: It should not be kept in a hidden place, but somewhere like near the entryway or under the bed.
One or multiple in numbers: The essential items should be there. It does not matter if you carry one single bag or multiple individual bags.
How to pack the go bag with all the essential things?
Your bag should have the important things that you will require during a natural disaster. When you prepare this kit, you will have the least to worry about.
1. Water and food
No matter what the situation is, until it is possible, you should take care of the hydration and nutrition of your family. During any crisis situation, food and water shortages are one of the common problems to arise first. Here is the list of things you must keep as water and food supplies.
- Sufficient water according to the number of your family members, so that you can get through 2 to 3 days
- Keep water purification tablets or portable water filters so that you can purify water and drink once your supplies ends
- It would be wise to carry collapsible water bottles so that they do not occupy much space in the bag
- Think practically while packing food items, and it would be better to have non-perishable items
- Carry energy bars or protein bars, as they can keep you and your family full for longer
- Fruits and nuts in dried form, as when dehydrated, can last longer
- Readymade meal options, as you might not have a steady fuel source
- Canned foods will let you have an instant meal, as they come with pull tabs
- If you have infants with you, you must carry formula milk in adequate quantities
- You should not be taking food essentials needed for preparing meals unless you carry your own stove
2. First aid kit
This kit is an essential element of the Go bag. It might happen that you or any of your family members might have to go through minor wounds. Thus, you should have the arrangement to treat these wounds, or else they might become major problems.
- The things that should be part of your first aid kit are mentioned below.
- Adhesive bandages of different sizes so that they can be wrapped around the wound or the cut
- Antiseptic wipes and ointment to treat the wound so that further damage can be prevented
- Sterile gauze and tape so that the area of the wound can be cleaned
- Tweezers or scissors to assist you in the treatment process
- Medication for allergies, fever, stomach issues, burn cream, etc., with a thermometer, which is a quintessential necessity
- Keep an emergency blanket so that the person feeling sick can cover themselves
- Keep the necessary medications for someone in your family who is facing an acute medical condition
- Store the medications in a waterproof pouch and keep checking the expiry date after a regular time interval
3. Important documents
All the essential documents like ID proofs, birth certificates, financial documents (insurance documents, bank passbook, chequebook, etc.) should accompany you. However, it is also necessary for you to keep the important medical documents with you.
Do not forget to keep a few family photos. This will help you or anyone else to find out if any of your family members go missing. You might not have to use mobile phones or cloud services.
Again, keep these documents in a waterproof and sealed folder so that none of them gets damaged. It would be smart to have all these documents in digital format as well. Store them in a password-protected USB drive.
The bottom line
Carry some basic clothing that can make you and your family comfortable. It would be unwise to keep another bag ready with only clothes, as these are not super essentials.
Instead of carrying different types of tools, keep a multi-functional tool, an emergency radio, and a power bank for phones so that their batteries do not die. Having money in cash format is essential, as you might not be able to access any of the digital wallets or online money.
